Naoi Cloth
Origins Though Naoi speaks rarely of her origins, her chilled mannerism and simple-minded intensity have led others to cultivate the idea that she hails from Sun's Keep, a theory that she has admitted as true once or twice. What little else is known that her place of birth is East Leg, shortly before the Wildling Raid nearly razed the city to the ground, and would had if not for the timely work of the Imperial Cavalry, the City's Garrison of Blades, and the Scourges near at hand. That would place her birth nearly eighteen years back. Trainee She disappeared for sometime after the destruction of Halo, and though it is unknown where, what is known that she came back with a fresh focus and drive and seperated from her sisters in their sealed keep. Immediatly, her travels took her to Lionsgate, not the home of the Cult but where Ailith Valoria, a Canoness at the time, handled affairs with no little bit of influence. It is there that she took up a new mantle, as a trainee for the position of the Ordinator sect, the Warrior-Priest of the Cult. Her service, and learnings, are compromised of Celeste, the caretaker of Night's Edge, Ailith Valoria, and Milora Lomasa, former Arbiter. As to who influenced her the most has, of yet, never been suggested. Ordinator After a brief stay at Riverhold, house of Milora and Norran Lomasa, the young girl returned to Lionsgate and was raised up to the sought position, one of the youngest to claim it. Immediatly afterwards, she travelled to her assigned chapels in the village and city of Pell's Gate, Southwatch, and Jade Garden. She summarized the quiet time as something of humility, to remind her that though her rise was quick, does not suggest that she is special. It isn't long though, before she notices tension on the rise, and in desperation of failing a second religion she swore to serve, forwarded a plan mentioned to her briefly by the Warpriestess. To make Night's Edge not just a chapel of the Faithful, but perhaps a place where a mage could go to recover. One such being was close to hand in the Zahiran Count Thayndor. With the plan in motion, she assisted the her fellow Ordinator Celeste Mikin in the 'retutoring' of the damned mage, and though even Cloth mentioned that in many ways it was a failure, Thayndor was cleared of his crime and allowed to return to the world at large, though Naoi did not stay to finish the work she had started, returning to safeguarding the chapels assigned to her in the beginning of her career. The Fall from Grace Not long afterwards, the Church of the True Light remerged as a player in the world of political and cultural importance, a gorilla tactics to subvert the opinion of the common man back to their side. Conflicted, confused, and troubled, Naoi's slow fall from grace began. When news of a tragedy brought on the people of Fastheld by the Archmagess Tshepsi, Naoi impetously attempted to murder the Syladris for crimes that she felt would not be judged harshly enough, only to be halted by the same man she attempted to rehabilatate. Scared, confused, and suddenly very alone she fled, but could not in the end avoid capture. Taken to the royal prison, her sentence was decided. Execution for treason against the Crown's Edict, and attempted assassination of a high official of the government. She sat in prison for some time, but with mysterious help, managed to escape. Her face became recognizable, posted up in nearly every tavern the length and breadth of the Kingdom. Forgive Me, My Sisters Thought dead after an extension of time, Naoi was in fact back in where she grew up, Sun's Keep. With this chance to undermine their work, she carefully learned what she could, and in the end, escaped with the knowledge of how to pass the mighty walls of the keep, in the end betraying the friendship she had cultivated with those within. Though armed with this knowledge, she only shared some, and then promptly disappeared, supposedly to wallow in her misery. Forgotten and bereft of any further purpose. At some point in her wanderings, she lost her eye, though the story as to how is something she seems determined to keep to herself. Life as of Now She did return, though, and was granted purpose anew... but not in a way that any could have foretold. She was there, watching from the crowd, when the Emperor displayed the Gateway's Eye. She was there, when Fastheld was torn from her again, but this time in such a way that everything she had ever known is likely gone for her forever. The Magic of the ancient weapon carried them through space and time, and into Hiverspace. Now, she is simply Naoi Cloth, a crewsmen aboard the LMS Artemis. Unspectacular in a world where abnormality is the norm. Quotes Look to the stars, Taran, and know that none shine brighter then you do at this moment... Appasionata, Naoi Cloth to Taran shortly before she deemed that he had not Fallen. Well, I was lying. There is no letter, I but wanted a reason to speak with a stranger. Light's Keep, Courier. Naoi, upon passing Ashlynn Birch on a dark road. I do not know how I can explain it. There is a dark cruel creature in all our souls, and the measure of our rightness is judged in our ability to suppress it. How can I summarize Fastheldian fear in terms you would understand? Let us say that.... you heard over and over and over and over and over how pie was the source of all evil, and then one day, you found it sitting on a table? Would you be able to consider it and say, Mmm, looks tasty? Or would you smash it, as the tales suggested it should be? Naoi, trying to explain Fastheldian superstition and vigilance against all things Shadow to Mrysa, the only way she thinks she can. =Badges= category:Pages with Badges category:Chiaroscuro Characters Category:Book of the White Tree